What we provide 

Potters Bar Clinic offers a CYPMHS Tier 4 low secure service for all genders age from 13 up to 18 years with a wide range of mental health disorders and complex needs. 

Our aim is to deliver, treat and empower each young person to live a safe and independent life and reach their individual potential. 

Environment 

Our 18-bed inpatient unit is set over two wards (Opal and Jasper) and offers a safe and nurturing environment to support and aid recovery. The young people are encouraged to individualise their own en-suite bedrooms in order for them to feel comfortable. 

Each ward has a laundry, dining area, quiet room and communal living space to give the young people the opportunity to socialise with their peers and participate in group activities. The young people are encouraged to be as independent as possible in an environment where they do not feel isolated. 

Onsite we have an Ofsted registered school to enable the young people to continue with their schooling whilst in treatment. The school timetable and attendance expectations are tailored to meet their needs. This helps to ease re-integration and transition back to their home when they are ready for discharge. Each young person will have their own individual education programme. The school is registered as an exam centre. 

Approach 

We have a dedicated multidisciplinary team for each ward, providing person centred treatment and care that is tailored to meet each individual’s needs and to support young people on their journey with us. 

We offer a trauma informed and individual formulation-based approach.  

We provide an individualised approach to assist young people to increase resilience, reduce self-injury, and enable them to better regulate emotions.  

Each young person is offered a programme of individual therapy from a qualified practitioner either a Psychotherapist or Psychologist, so they can acquire the self-regulation skills in order to safely access more intense therapy. 

Family therapy is offered where appropriate, and each young person receives an individualises intervention from the occupational therapy team. 

Admission Criteria 

• All genders ages from 13 up to 18 years old
• Detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) 
• Cannot be safely managed in a less restrictive environment, does not require a medium secure setting, and is assessed as having needs that cannot be managed by a short-term admission in a PICU
• May be under a restriction order by the Ministry of Justice
• May present a risk of harm to others or themselves or suffers from a behavioural disturbance that requires inpatient care, specialist risk management procedures and a specialist treatment intervention.